Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-07-09
TWO DEMOCRATIC STATESMEN.

There is q remarkable similarity in
the letters of Mr.. Jefferson Davis and
President Grover Cleveland on the sub.
ject of returning the confederate flags.
Both say the flags should be returned.
Neither of these distinguished gentlemen
took part in the wal of the rebellion
that is to say, they were conspicuously
absent when there we're flags to capture
and flags to lose. Indeed they neglected
to take the preliminary steps which
would entitle them to the distinction of
being shot at. Cleveland hired a sub.
stitute and Davis, having conspired to
bring OF the war, let the other fel-
lows do the fighting. About the
time these flags were being won Mr..
Cleveland was engaged in serving his
country as sheriff of B%ufalo--an occu-
patton not wholly without its sanguinary
features, for it is within the pale of pos
sible belief that he may have mashed q
thumb nail or driven a tack through
one of his fingers while engaged in the
patriotic duty of fastening notices Of
chattle mortgage saleto the dead walls of
his native city; or the rope with which
he was wont to hang Buffalo murderers
may have slipped through his hands
ever and anon and skinned or blisterrd
his palms. No doubt the records of the
Buffalo %shrievalty will throw some light
upon this subject when they are called
into requisition to complete the history
of Mr.. Cleveland's eminent service dur
ing the var The flag with which Mr..
Cleveland was most familiar in those
days that tried mems souls was the red
ensign which is usually displayed owe
the auction block and bearing in big
white letters the ominous inscription,
Sheriff Sale" He fought under this
flag for four years in the city of Buffalo,
and some Of his unfortunate constituents
bled under the same banner. When he
was finally defeated for the Office of
sheriff of Buffalo he surrendered the
auction flag to the victor, but history
fails to tell US if the banner has been
returned. All the stirring events in Mr..
Cleyeland's war record TRANSFERRED near
the Canadian line, and it is within the
scope of reason to believe that he never
saw a confederate flag until the wal was
over. History does not even relate
whether Mr.. Cleveland's substitute was
killed, or if he escaped alive whether
he is a dependent pensioner.
In Mr.. Jefferson Davis we have an
other exemplifcation Of the patriot who
fought, bled and held Office during the
war, only jeff wasn't as neal the Cana.
dian line as Grover, and he had a harder
time of it. Along towards the close OF
the "unpleasantness" jeff became SO
destitute of clothing that he was com.
PEELED to wear female attire. hoop skirts
and all. These same relics of the re.
bellion are now stored away among the
last articles that were captured from the
rebels, and if the flags are to be returned
the hoop.skirt and things which JEFF
o ought to be returned also. They
are . part of the trophies which are cal
culated to "keep alive the animosities
of the war;" and rs Grover can't veal
them they should be sent back to JEFF
with the compliments Of the first Dem.
ocratic administration that the country
has been called upon to tolerate and Ell
dure since the memorable reign Of Mr.
Davis and his co.conspirators who
plunged the country into civil strif
and made the capture Of the confeder
acy andthe confederate flags a necessity